Firefighter says violence against first responders on the rise

An Ariz. firefighter has been studying violence trends over the past two decades

By Angie Holdsworth
ABC 15

PEORIA, Ariz. — The ambush style shooting in New York that killed two firefighters is a wake-up call according to a one long time Valley firefighter.

El Mirage Fire Chief, and martial arts instructor, Howard Munding has been studying the trends over the past 20 years. His research shows that some 55-percent of firefighters admit to having been assaulted on the job. An on-going survey currently being conducted is in line with those figures.

Munding said some unofficial data also indicates some uptick in trends. He said that drug use and often times economic pressures adds to tensions first responders are facing.

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